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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24940105">Happiness</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/FandomStar/pseuds/FandomStar'>FandomStar</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Charité | Charité at War (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst with a Happy Ending, Between Episodes, Forbidden Love, Hiding, Love, M/M, POV Alternating, Period-Typical Homophobia, Secret Relationship</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 07:34:32</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>848</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24940105</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/FandomStar/pseuds/FandomStar</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It's only a few weeks into Otto hiding in the attic. He can tell something specific about the situation makes Anni more uneasy than would be expected.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Anni Waldhausen &amp; Otto Marqaurdt, Otto Marquardt/Martin Schelling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>34</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Happiness</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I've set up a Discord server for this small fandom! There are three of us at the moment, so if you want to join us send me a message on Tumblr (@fandom-star) or Instagram (@that.cosplay.dude)<br/>I hope you enjoy this! I loved writing it!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Otto gently brushed a hand over Karin's head. Finally, his niece had fallen asleep. She'd been restless all day. To be fair, Otto had been too - neither Anni nor Martin had come up to the attic since the night before, and he was worried. </p><p>Until he heard it. The uneven steps that were the telltale sign of the approach of his favourite person in the world.</p><p>Otto beamed at the sight of Martin, before putting a finger to his lips and pointing at Karin's crib. Understanding, Martin nodded and clambered over the beams separating them as quietly as possible. As soon as he was close enough, Otto engulfed him tightly in his arms.</p><p>"Martin! I've been worried sick! Karin as well," Otto breathed, taking comfort in the beat of Martin's heart against his own. "We haven't seen anyone since last night. Did something happen? Is Anni alright?"</p><p>"Your sister's fine. The entire hospital's been chaos, the children's clinic especially," Martin explained, reassuring Otto. "We had an influx of casualties from the outskirts of the city."</p><p>"How bad was it?"</p><p>"It's nothing we haven't seen or handled before. It was just... sudden. Unexpected."</p><p>Lightly, Otto took Martin's hand and walked him over to the mattress. At his partner's sigh of relief when he took the weight from his limbs, Otto knelt beside him, letting his hands hover over Martin's thigh.</p><p>"Can I-?" he asked.</p><p>"Please, do." Martin replied.</p><p>After rolling his trouser leg up, Otto deftly unlaced the prosthetic limb before carefully setting it aside.</p><p>"You look exhausted, Martin."</p><p>When Otto wrapped an arm around his shoulders to hug him close, Martin pressed his lips to Otto's. The kiss was sweet, and longing, and passionate. At the sound that could only be Anni arriving, they pulled apart, but Otto kept his hold on Martin. He grinned when his sister appeared.</p><p>"Anni!" he exclaimed. "Martin told me how busy the hospital's been. I wasn't expecting to see you!"</p><p>"I'm glad I could see you, too. I was lucky to get past Artur." Anni replied, moving to Karin's crib.</p><p>Otto smiled and rested his head on Martin's shoulder. "She's missed you."</p><p>"I missed her, too." Anni said, carefully picking her daughter up before glancing across at her brother, who looked comfortable wrapped up closely to Martin - <em>too comfortable, too close, </em>a part of her suggested.</p><p>Otto knew that Anni was trying to be subtle in the way she moved to the covered window, but it wasn't working. Martin tensed in his arms. Trying to soothe his lover, Otto pressed kisses to his temple.</p><p>"I'll be back, <em>Schatz." </em>he murmured.</p><p>Quietly, Otto followed his sister. He sighed.</p><p>"Anni," he murmured. "I know it will take time for you to adjust to my relationship with Martin, and that you may never understand it. But... it would make everything a bit more bearable if you could at least try to treat him as a friend." Anni gave a hesitant nod. Relieved that he at least got that far, Otto smiled. "I love Martin. You may not believe me, but I <em>am </em>in love with him. Please don't make me continue to keep my love secret when I'm already hiding from the world."</p><p>When she turned, Anni saw the pleading glint in her brother's eyes. As long as he'd been alive, she had never once known Otto to beg anyone for anything - not like this.</p><p>"Are you happy? Not generally, but-" She looked across the attic at Martin, who was trying to keep busy so he didn't eavesdrop or overhear anything. "Does Martin make you happy?"</p><p>Otto followed her eyes to his lover. Anni saw him smile fondly. Before he even said anything, she knew what his answer would be.</p><p>"When I am with Martin, or when I think of him, I believe that I could be the happiest man in the world."</p><p>Anni gazed at the profile of her brother's face and, for the first time since the start of the conversation, she smiled.</p><p>"You're right. I don't understand. I don't even know if I think what you have is right," she told Otto. "But I <em>do </em>know you. And I like to think I know Martin a little too. He's a good man. And you're happy with him. That's what's important to me."</p><p>Otto turned to Anni with wide eyes. Careful not to jostle Karin, he desperately hugged his sister.</p><p>"Anni," he mumbled. "<em>Danke schön."</em></p><p>Anni stroked Otto's hair and pulled him down to kiss his forehead.</p><p>"Spend some time with Martin," she quietly encouraged. "He misses you."</p><p>Gently, Otto squeezed Anni's hand and kissed Karin's head, before returning to Martin's side. Anni glanced over her shoulder to watch as Otto settled back into his space beside Martin, who automatically wrapped an arm around her brother's waist and allowed him to press into his body. As they whispered softly between themselves, Martin happened to look up and catch Anni's eye. Remembering what she'd promised Otto, Anni smiled at him.</p><p>When Martin relaxed and his eyes softened, Anni knew she'd done the right thing.</p>
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